[P]interesting....

It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over, but it is.  Around here, the kids are back in school, even as the temperatures are languishing perilously close to the triple digit mark.  But the seasons really are in transition, I believe. Yesterday, I purchased faux flowers (I love that term) in lovely fall colors…

I have a party coming up a month from today, and I want to be ready.  Of course, that means turning to my fave internet site: Pinterest .  With almost 36,000 “pins” to date, you might think that my house is cleaned using homemade, environmentally-friendly household ingredients. My house is impeccably decorated for the current holiday season. Our meals are healthy, nutritious, and beautiful to see. We travel to exotic places frequently. I wear fashionable clothes, accessorize perfectly, wear cute shoes, and use Nutella in hundreds of different ways. Oh, and I buy things at flea markets and spruce them up with chalk paint…

Yeah, right.

I guess, for some, Pinterest is the stuff of daydreams, or good intentions.  Or just a “trip” to another place, I suppose.  Not me.  I have actually made some of the recipes I have pinned, used some of the cleaning tips, decorated with ideas I saw on Pinterest, and  printed out my favorite quotes.

It’s not all about me, either.  I have a board full of garden ideas for him to do….(hasn’t happened yet, but I’m an optimist!).  I have found great ideas for birthday presents, birthday cards, and scrapbooking.

It’s a never-ending journey of discovery and learning.  Fascination and frustration.  No, the recipes aren’t always tested, the chalk paint may be a little thick, and the “easy” thing isn’t always easy.  It’s a lot of trial and error but, as one of my favorite quotes says: “if you’re not failing, you’re not trying.”

And so, I pin.  Every day, at least once a day.  I find the most wonderful things and add them to my life. Some of my current favorite “things” are:

I have collected quotes forever, but now they're all in one place!

 

My favorite place to be....

A fairly new board filled with snippets of history.

 

I started this board when I was planning my studio.

 

Would LOVE to have an RV again!

Who doesn't like cheap?

 

My current fave color (sorry, Pink!)

 

I'm really liking industrial style right now...

Whatever you do today, enjoy the ride!

Cali

Through My Daughter's Eyes...

(This was written in late March, about a month ago....)

My daughter and her husband are in The Big Apple this week.  It’s the first vacation in a long time for them.  My daughter works too hard, going in to work extra shifts when there’s a staffing shortage, working a double shift when someone calls in sick, and taking the ER duty when no one else wants it.

She’s a Certified Cardiology Tech at a hospital about 45 miles up the road from Podunk.  She does the 12-lead EKGs as ordered, transcribes Holter monitor reports, and makes her mama proud.  She was even ACLS certified for a few years.  (CCTs are not required to take Advanced Cardiac Life Support training: she just wanted to know more about the EKGs she does….).

There was a patient once, who had an EKG done in the morning.  Later in the afternoon, he was complaining of chest discomfort and the physician ordered another EKG.  My daughter compared the two EKGs and alerted the RN that there was a significant change in the afternoon EKG.  The RN shrugged and mentioned that the physician would be in “soon” and she would tell him them.

Not satisfied with that response, my daughter paged the physician.  When he called her back, she shared her concerns about the patient.  To make a long story short, the physician came straight away to see the patient and took him immediately to the cardiac cath lab.  When he was finished, he came back to the cardiology department to inform my daughter that she probably saved the patient’s life.

No, not a proud mama here….  But you can see just how important it is that she has a vacation.  And so, she’s posting photos on Facebook from her adventures.  Every chance I get, I go online to see where she is and what she is seeing.  In the photos taken by her husband, she is happy and smiling, with a little bit of wide-eyed awe thrown in….

She has ferried out to Ellis Island, taken photos from atop the Empire State Building, been to all the important museums on Manhattan, walked through Central Park, made a pilgrimage to Tiffany’s, and even spent some time in FAO Schwartz…..

It has truly been a trip of a lifetime for her.  A chance to see a place she had only seen in movies and dreamt about seeing in person…..some day.  And her someday finally arrived…..  She has seized the moment and put all her energy into enjoying her time there, just as she puts so much energy into doing her job well.

And I have been to New York this week, too, through my daughter’s eyes….

Cali

The Spirit of the Season...

Since the beginning of time, or at least, since humans realized that the days were shorter and the nights longer, in the winter, we have celebrated the winter solstice.  Different cultures have recognized the time as a rebirth, of sorts, and celebrated with holidays and festivals.

For centuries, different cultures have commemorated the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem with a holiday occurring near the winter solstice.  And other cultures have celebrated the birth of the Christ Child in a manger, in a stable, in the Middle East.  More recently, it has become a time to honor African-American heritage and culture.

In a song, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.  Yet, that’s hard for some to accept.  Was it wonderful when loved ones were thousands of miles away, in harm’s way, fighting a war?  Was it wonderful in 1929 when the Stock Market had just crashed?  Is it wonderful today, with double digit unemployment?  It’s double digit where I live, anyway….

Ah, and the nightly news does nothing to make things merry and bright, does it?  Unspeakable crimes, political shenanigans, death, destruction and despair rule the airwaves, it seems.  Just yesterday, there was a story about a small town north of Podunk, where all the toys donated to make Christmas “merry” for needy children were stolen….

Tonight, on the news, they showed the long line of cars full of people waiting to donate toys to replace those that were stolen.  It’s a small town, but the donators came from towns all over the valley in an attempt to replace more than 3000 toys in just 24 hours. 

It was uplifting to watch families with children bringing toys to donate to other, less fortunate children.  What a wonderful lesson to teach all of us:  it is better to give than to receive…. And tomorrow, the celebration will go on as planned: free hot meal, gifts for the children, and 65 cubic yards of shipped-in snow to help make Christmas merry and bright.

Of course, there are Secret Santas at work all over this country right now.  Some have paid off layaways at Kmart stores so children can have Christmas after all.  And others are paying for tanks of gas for amazed gas station customers.  Still others have taken toys to children in hospitals, or gifts to the elderly in nursing homes.

Perhaps the spirit of the season is still alive and well, despite the economy.  Perhaps there truly is hope for this little blue marble we live on.  Perhaps man’s inhumanity to man has a noble opponent in those who would commit kindnesses to others without expecting anything in return….

Perhaps the spirit of Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, or whatever you choose to call it, is alive and well.

And this world isn’t all bad….

My Quiet Place.....

It has been a very busy day. Driving on crowded highways in the pouring rain. Very busy. And a little unnerving, at times.


But it's over now. We're home, settled in to the early evening, pursuing our own interests.


I am trying to find my quiet place. That place where the troubling thoughts of the day seem to fade away, never to return. A place where simple, peaceful, happy thoughts pervade and prevail.


And here it is. Not physically, as it can happen anywhere. But here, and now, as I rest and remember the day. The thoughts in my head make me smile. The “secrets” that will be revealed Christmas Day. Knowing that soon, family will gather and hugs and kindness will abound.


The world around us will recede and the light and life in this house will be felt and enjoyed by everyone who is here, physically or in spirit. Far and wide, the influences of those who have touched our lives will warm our hearts and brighten the day.


The troubles in life melt away and Love reigns supreme.


Merry Christmas, All!


Cali

The Silver Lining...

It's a week until Christmas. Next Saturday, at this time, I will be getting ready to serve Christmas Dinner to my family. The gifts will be opened and the excitement of the night before will have settled into mellow contentment.


I haven't been this ready for Christmas in more than thirty years. Of course, for the past 34 years, I have had a job, and been working full time before, during and after the holidays. But not this year....


The Christmas trees have been up for almost three weeks. The mantle decorations, too. The gifts are purchased and wrapped. The Christmas cards and packages have been mailed in plenty of time.


I have actually had time to just sit and look at the Christmas tree and think about things. Important things: family, friends, plans for the future, and all the wonderful memories of Christmas. It's a luxury, not having to rush around and try to get things done. And I truly appreciate it.


It's the silver lining in the cloud, for me.


Cali

The Christmas Dishes...

'Tis the season to be jolly. Are you?


This morning, I got out my Christmas dishes. They are from Mikasa and they each have a Christmas tree on them, with green lattice around the rims. I think they are quite pretty....


Normally, I take them out on Christmas Eve, just before our meal, and set them out on the dining table. I decided to do things differently this year: we will use them at supper time from now until after Christmas.


They are festive and fun, regardless of what food is on them. A roast, a casserole, even hot dogs, will look better on Christmas plates. It is about presentation, isn't it?


The simple addition of festive Christmas plates will make each meal special during the season. It is an indication that family is special, too. By not saving “the good china” for company, every meal becomes a celebration. Every person around the table is loved and welcome.

And every meal becomes a joyous occasion....


Cali

A Gentle Time....

This is the time of year for gentleness. Sure, being kind and gentle is important all year long. But it is even more important during the holidays.


All the decorations, all the traditions, all the memories can overwhelm us at this time of the year. Look at any Norman Rockwell holiday picture and you will see what I mean. Some will smile and think of a good memory that the picture evokes.


Others will have a lump in their throat and fight back the tears. Perhaps it is because of a good memory of someone or something that is now gone. Or perhaps it is a bad memory of a holiday gone awry. Whatever the reason, gentleness counts.


Invite friends who are alone to your Christmas festivities. Don't be surprised if they say “no.” For some, being in a group of people makes them feel even lonelier and more disconnected. Perhaps a one-on-one time, just you and your friend, would be less intimidating.


In any case, think of those who might be alone, or lonely, or sad, or depressed this holiday season and invite them to come to a gentle place. A shelter from their loneliness. Invite them into your home.


And into your heart.


Merry Christmas, Gentle Spirits!


Cali

Sparkle and Shine....

I have been cleaning my house. Little by little, interrupted by pain, at times. But that's all right: I have the time and the inclination to clean. It gives me such pleasure to see things sparkle and shine. And it costs virtually nothing. It's truly a simple pleasure.

And now, with hardwood floors shining, windows sparkling, dust and dirt banished, it's time to put up the Christmas tree. A faux tree, but a tree nonetheless. Almost seven feet tall, perfectly shaped, and ready to receive the special baubles that I have collected.

Tonight, when it gets dark, I will light the tree and sit in front of it, mesmerized by the beauty of it all. Every year, I think my tree is the most beautiful, ever. And every year, it is.

Wishing you a clean house and a Merry Christmas!